The invention relates to a device for transferring to a substrate, such as a writing or drawing sheet, a substance applied in the form of a film to a carrier tape, comprising a housing in which a storage reel for the film-coated carrier tape and an empty reel for receiving the carrier tape with the coating removed are arranged, wherein the film-coated carrier tape is guided over an applicator foot with an applicator edge, around which the carrier tape is looped.
Hand devices of that kind for transferring a film (for example, adhesive, covering material, marking colorant, etc.) are known. In that case different realisations of the designs of the applicator foot are known in pursuit of easy motion and good capability of transfer of the film to the substrate. Thus, the applicator foot can, for example, be equipped with an applicator roller which preferably has a rubber-elastic running surface. However, since the outer diameter of an applicator roller appropriate to the function cannot be kept as small as desired, because good brushing against the substrate requires a minimum thickness for the elastic running ring and rotational mobility presupposes a sufficient difference between stub axle and outer diameter, such a roller has disadvantages. Accordingly, most solutions for the applicator foot comprise an applicator strip which has advantages relative to an applicator roller, since a sharper unwinding of the carrier tape is possible in the transfer phase, whereby the detached portion after completed transfer has less tendency to formation of a wavy edge. There against, a disadvantage relative to a solution with an applicator roller is that in the case of the applicator strip the carrier tape is guided over this with a friction couple, which depending on the respective quality of the carrier tape can lead to an undesired heavy motion.
A device according to the category is known from, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,904. In this device the applicator foot in the region looped around by the carrier tape is provided with a slide element of a friction-reducing rubber-like material which is fastened to the applicator foot. This slide element is to serve the purpose of achieving a faultless transfer of the film to the substrate. However, it has proved that the easy motion of the device and the transfer of the film to the substrate is still worthy of improvement.
Moreover, another device according to the category is known from EP 0 360 045 A2. In this device the applicator foot has, adjacent to a rigid applicator strip at the free end, an end region which is capable of springing away relative to the applicator strip and which defines a presser edge and consists of mutually adjacent portions able to resiliently spring out substantially independently of one another perpendicularly to the longitudinal centre plane relative to the applicator strip, but formed to be non-yielding in the direction of this longitudinal centre plane. These end regions in that case are preferably formed from resilient tongues disposed adjacent to one another, wherein, however, each tongue is deflectable quite independently of the adjacent tongues. A good adaptation to uneven substrates is indeed possible with such an applicator foot, but an applicator foot of that kind with several tongues arranged adjacent to one another is relatively costly to produce.
The object of the invention is accordingly to so improve a device according to category that the easy motion and faultless transfer of the film to the substrate are improved by simplest possible means with particular consideration of economic capability of manufacture.
According to the invention this object is met with a device of the kind stated in the introduction by the applicator foot being provided at least in the region of its underside facing the substrate with at least one recess.